California’s statutory ban on non-competes contains an exception for covenants given in connection with the sale of a business and its goodwill. The exception in California Business and Professions Code section 16601 (the “16601 exception”) was created to protect a buyer’s interest in enjoying the goodwill it purchased free from competition by the seller. With limited case law interpreting the exception, buyers often struggle with the question of how to best protect themselves against later competition from a seller who initially accepts post-closing employment with the buyer – must the restriction be tied to the closing date and the products and customers in place on that date or can it be tied to the employee’s later departure from the new entity and include post-closing products and customers? A recent decision from the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, provides some guidance for those trying to draft enforceable covenants.